My Father's Business

The Small-Town Values That Built Dollar General into a Billion-Dollar Company

By: Cal Turner Jr., Rob Simbeck

Narrated by: Cal Turner Jr.

Length: 10 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

"This classic story told through the eyes of my friend Cal Jr. is instructive in almost every area of life. I simply could not put it down. Must-read!" (Dave Ramsey, best-selling author and nationally syndicated radio show host)

The first-person account of the family that changed the American retail landscape.

Longtime Dollar General CEO Cal Turner, Jr. shares his extraordinary life as heir to the company founded by his father Cal Turner, Sr. and his grandfather, a dirt farmer turned Depression-era entrepreneur. Cal's narrative is at its heart a father-son story, from his childhood in Scottsville, Kentucky, where business and family were one, to the triumph of reaching the Fortune 300 - at the cost of risking that very father/son relationship. Cal shares how the small-town values with which he was raised helped him guide Dollar General from family enterprise to national powerhouse.

Chronicling three generations of a successful family with very different leadership styles, Cal Jr. shares a wealth of wisdom from a lifetime on the entrepreneurial front lines. He shows how his grandfather turned a third-grade education into an asset for success. He reveals how his driven father hatched the game-changing dollar price point strategy and why it worked. And he explains how he found his own leadership style when he took his place at the helm - values-based, people-oriented, and pragmatic.

Cal's story provides a riveting look at the family love and drama behind Dollar General's spectacular rise, pays homage to the working-class people whose no-frills needs helped determine its rock-bottom prices, and shares the life and lessons of one of America's most compelling business leaders.

©2018 Cal Turner and Rob Simbeck (P)2018 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"A revealing and colorful book...Cal Jr.'s openness about the trials and tribulations both within the family and the company itself, as well as his personal reflection in retirement, is something we can all learn from and is sure to help us be more honest in our own self-assessments." (Senator Bob Corker)

"My Father's Business is the story of what it took to build Dollar General into a national retail chain from its rural, Kentucky roots and will encourage anyone with a dream of building a business." (Doug McMillon, president and CEO, Walmart)

"The story of Dollar General is an example of what makes our country so great." (George Roberts, co-founder and co-chair, KKR)

Outstanding!

Great book on humble beginnings, life experiences, faith & failures . This book is inspiring in remembering nothing comes easy and all things are possible thru God

Great Book!

A must read for anyone starting a business, inheriting a business, or wishing to grow past a sole proprietorship. The author hit on many of the successes and failures and the difficulties leading up to both.

Brilliantly written and narrated

Best biography I read this year. Thoughtful, transparent and touching. Life lessons rather than common advice.

Good book

The author of the book speaks honestly about his experience. It is the fresh story of how a business started and grew for over 5 decades. It is also the personal story of the grandson that continued the legacy of the founder/grandfather. The book is easy to listen to and entertaining. I highly recommend.

My Favorite Store

Loved this book. A great book that tells a wonderful story of a highly successful life. Well done.

Pleasant Surprise

Cal Turner does a marvelous job delivering his message and life lessons. Two thumbs up

Lots of wisdom to share...

I really enjoyed the story. as an entrepreneur who started a business that I hope could someday be a family business, it was interesting hearing a lot of situations that were involved. I also never had any feelings one way or another about Dollar General. However, after listening to this book, I sort of want to shop there more.

It's amazing what knowing the story of a business can do.

I originally heard about this book when Cal Turner Jr was on the Entreleadership podcast. I get almost all of the books that I read about business related topics from that podcast.

Stories of Cal's grandfather reminded me of my grandmother who did not get her GED until she was 77 years old... at 15, she had to drop out of school to care for her family when her mother died from gallstones during the Great Depression. Some people give up when something that life altering happens... our grandparents did not. Also, like a Turner, she would buy anything at half price. ;)

I listen to this audiobook at 1.3 speed, and it still felt a little slow at times... but I always really wanted to know what was going to happen next and I'm glad I listen to it.

Very good very informative

There are a lot of things business people can take from this really insightful well presented from a very personal position

great great great

wish more family company turned billion dollar company would do books like this. great insight

An amazing story!

Such a well written book with some powerful lessons. I know that I will be rereading this book many times to comes. What an absolute gem!